Tata Harrier continues testing with a heavy camouflage [Update]
Update - Reader Jaidev has spotted the Harrier prototype in Bangalore. Tata Motors will upgrade dealer showrooms from January 2019 just before sales of the SUV begins.
September 6 -
The Tata Harrier (codename - Tata H5X) was spotted testing by IAB reader Ankit Ponnappa in Bengaluru. Akin to the previous sightings, the test mule was concealed with heavy camouflage.
While an earlier set of spy images revealed the headlight fixtures of the production-spec H5X, the test mule in the latest pics carries a temporary headlight arrangement. The Tata Harrier becomes the company's first product to feature its Impact Design 2.0 philosophy. Pratap Bose, Head of Design, Tata Motors, has confirmed that 85% of the Harrier's exterior design stays true to the H5X concept.
In July this year, IAB's exclusive spy images of the Harrier's interior gave us a good look at the new SUV's instrument console. The instrument panel has a monotone lighting and features chrome appliques for the dials. The cluster also carries a colour Multi-Information Display (MID) and digital semi-circular displays for the fuel gauge and instantaneous fuel consumption. While the small diameter steering wheel looks a lot like the one on all recent Tata models, it gets a slightly different design for the centre-pad.
Also See: Tata H7X (Harrier 7-seater) - IAB Rendering
Drive for the Harrier comes from a Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre Multijet II turbocharged diesel engine that is likely to output a maximum power of 140 bhp and a peak torque of 350 Nm. The same engine will be tuned to offer 167 bhp for the H7X, which is the 7-seater version of the Harrier that comes out in 2020. The motor will come mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard. A Hyundai-sourced 6-speed automatic transmission will be optional. The flagship of Tata Motors is the first model underpinned by the ‘Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced (OMEGA)’ platform, which is essentially a derivative of the JLR's D8 platform, and like the Nexon, will offer multi drive modes.
Also Read- Tata Harrier SUV - 10 Things You Should Know
The Tata Harrier goes on sale in Q1 2019. It is expected to cost INR 12 lakhs - 18 lakhs (ex-showroom) making it a direct rival to the top-end variants of the Hyundai Creta and low- and mid-range trims of the Jeep Compass.